Changing Faces
by Docker
Summary: Hermione discovers there is more to her best friend than she ever thought. Ashamed that she was blind to the fact Harry was only masking his true power because of years of neglect she swears to herself she will change the past. HP/HG. Dark. Set After DH.


**Changing Faces;**

Hello, I haven't posted anything in a couple of years, and this is something different from the stuff I normally write; but please just give it a go.

**Summary**: After DH . Hermione discovers there is more to her best friend than she ever thought, ashamed that she was blind to the fact Harry was only masking his true power because of years of neglect she swears to herself she will change the past to stop the consequences. Eventual HP/HG.

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**_Prologue_**

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Hermione Granger was a highly capable witch, often called the smartest of her generation. During her schooling she was often praised for her abilities and was held in jealous awe by her peers. She might have been considered one of the smartest magical students in Britain at the time but she learnt the hard way she wasn't the most talented. Image her shock when she discovered the most talented wizard of their generation was none other than her laid back and attention hating best friend Harry Potter.

Harry Potter. Before she had even met Harry she had read many books about him. About how he was the savoir of the wizarding world, the books all sung high praises about the boy and in her head she had pictured Harry as a baby Merlin. She had been disappointed when she met him; he had not read any of the books he was mentioned in. He seemed too shy to be a magical hero. At school his grades were only slightly above average, and he didn't even really want to spend time studying the things the world would want their savoir to know. Her image of Harry went from a powerful wizard to a normal little boy. Sometimes he would do amazing things, like the time he helped save her from that troll, and how he defeated Voldemort to save the Philosopher's Stone. But by the end of their first year Hermione no longer saw Harry as a Dark Lord defeater or a little boy. He was her friend, but she still secretly took pleasure from the fact she was better at magic than the Boy-Who-Lived.

Over the years they both grew more powerful. Hermione realized by their fifth year Harry was very good at Defence against the Dark Arts, and ended up making him agree to teach them the subject. But not even she knew how good at the subject Harry really was. Even during their seventh year, or what should have been their seventh year Harry still did not show his talents. She and everyone else saw that Harry had defeated Voldemort with a fluke, something that was not guaranteed to happen. It was only by chance that Harry won. But everyone still loved him; he was still the golden boy.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were all given the chance to repeat their last year of school, but only Hermione took the option. Ron and Harry had decided it would be a better idea to go straight into Auror training. Hermione expected Ron to take that option; he never really did appreciate school but she was surprised that Harry refused to back to Hogwarts; the place he claimed was his home. Although thinking about it Hermione realized going back might have been too painful for Harry to bear.

Nothing up to that point really surprised her about Harry, until he agreed to enter that duelling tournament. He had entered after weeks of the Ministry begging him, announcing that if he won he would donate the money to Gilgurt's; the only magical orphanage in Britain. The one and only Harry Potter entering England's national duelling tournament and agreeing to give the winnings to charity was great publicity and the Ministry loved it. They were advertising Harry in the competition for weeks in advance, but not even they were prepared for the show Harry gave them. She didn't know why Harry decided that was the right time to show off his real abilities, maybe he just decided that he was sick of masking his power or he just didn't care anymore. No one had expected Harry to win; but he did and he did it spectacularly, astounding everyone in the audience.

Hermione hated to admit she was slightly jealous. She knew she didn't have an amazing amount of magic in her; her supply was only just above average. But her constant studying and hard work made up for it. She was one of the youngest people working in the Department Of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the Ministry and the only reason she was there was because of the amount of extra hours she put in during Hogwarts. Harry who had never put in more effort than he had to at school, had more power that she could ever hope for, more natural magical ability. And he kept it hidden from her and everyone else. Hermione knew it was silly but she found herself very worked up over it, after all she spent seven years being the strong one only to find out her best friend was just humouring her.

There was a knock on the door of the apartment she shared with Ginny, "Anyone home?" Hermione recognised Harry's voice immediately. Wiping her eyes she called back, "Sorry Ginny's at work!"

Harry knocked on the door again, "Hermione? Yeah, I met her for lunch. I came to see you."

Sighing Hermione made her way to the door, "What do you want?"

Harry greeted her with a smile, "Is it such a surprise that I would drop in to see my best friend once in a while?"

Hermione was tempted to groan, it looked like Harry planned to stay a while. "Would you like a cup of tea?" She asked stiffly.

"Yes please, two sugars." Harry made his way into the sitting room, not surprised in the least by the fact books were covering every surface. "Looks like you are doing a bit of light reading."

Hermione carried the two cups of tea into the room, "It's for a project at work."

"Ron told me about the new job. Congratulations, how's it going?" Harry nodded in thanks as Hermione handed him the tea.

"Very well thank you, and how your job working out? I heard you've been made squad caption. That's very impressive for a nineteen year old." Hermione carefully watched Harry's reaction.

He chuckled lightly, "It was a lot of hard work."

Hermione couldn't stop herself from bitterly replying, "Hard work? Really? From what I've seen you don't even have to try, everything comes naturally to you."

Harry's eyes darked slightly, "Ginny told me you didn't react well to seeing me in that duelling tournament."

"How could I not? You've been lying to us the whole time we've been friends." She snapped, her patience running low. Hermione had promised herself she wouldn't get ridiculously worked up if she saw Harry, but she just couldn't help herself.

"I never lied to you Hermione. I never said I couldn't do those things, I just didn't show you." Harry's cheerful attitude had completely disappeared, leaving a serious young man in his wake.

"But why the secrecy? You have amazing talent, what didn't you show us?" She asked hoarsely.

"I grew up with the Dursleys Hermione. I was constantly ridiculed for being different. When I heard there was another world out there I thought it was a fresh start. I was horrified when I found out I was famous, I didn't want to be seen as the freak again! I just wanted to be normal, and so I copied the things that Ron and the other boys did, I hid what I could do because I wanted to fit in so badly."

Hermione just stared at him, not saying anything. "For God's Sake Hermione, grow up! Not even Ron was this jealous; he got over it pretty quickly."

"I was jealous Harry, but it's more than that. Do you know how many people you could have saved if you gave us your best? I understand your mask when you started Hogwarts, what about fourth year? Fifth year? And all the years after that? You could have done so much. It was so selfish Harry. I'm disappointed." Hermione shook her head sadly. For a second she reminded herself of Dumbledore.

"I didn't know what do Hermione! I felt trapped. I was so scared of what everyone else would think, I even started believing that was the real me. Do you think I don't see the faces of everyone I let down before I go to sleep? I do! I only really worked up the courage to expose myself last week, I was sick was living a lie." Harry shot back, anger evident in his tone.

"I can't believe you were a Gryffindor." Hermione snapped at him childishly.

"And I can't believe you are meant to be smart." Harry stood up, and quickly made his way to the door, "Goodbye Hermione." And then he was gone.

Harry was right, she was meant to be smart. Hermione was more disappointed in herself than she was with Harry. She had believed herself to be the strong one. Refusing to see past Harry's mask had destroyed so many lives. It was both of their faults. She had to make it right.

**...**

Thanks for your time, please review.


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